Technology

If you want to learn how to start getting into web design then look no further. A lot of people want to learn to become more independent and start doing things like building their own websites for business reasons or have the ability to build websites as a freelance worker. Whatever the reason for wanting to learn web design use the tips in this article to assist you in your endeavors.

Don’t force users to install strange BHOs. Many tech-savvy users won’t do it. Common offenders include unusual video players, image viewers, and platforms for interactive games. For most standard use cases, there is a trusted plugin, such as Windows Media Player or even Flash) that will do what you want without driving away users.

Always mark files that must be opened in an external program with an icon. Many sites host PDF files, and less commonly, DOC files, that must be opened in Foxit Reader and Microsoft Word/OpenOffice, respectively. These files should be marked with an icon representing the file type, and a link to download the appropriate viewer if the user does not have it.

Is your site easy to scan? Usability testing has shown that visitors are interested in scanning the content for items of value, rather than reading every word. Emphasized text broken into easily scannable sections can help your viewers want to return to your site. Put important facts near the top of the page. All of this ensures a more satisfying experience for your visitors because they can quickly find what they need.

To help your website visitors find their way home on your site, always include a link to your homepage on each page of your site. Having a home page link that is visible allows your reader to easily make their way back to starting point. If you do not have a home page link then your visitors might get frustrated and leave your site altogether.

Be sure your website works both with and without the “www” prefix. Some people will type this in before they head to your site as a force of habit, and some may not. You should make sure that customers will be directed to your site either way, or you may have some confused people on your hands.

When you design a site, try to stick to just a few web fonts. Also think about how fonts look for different people. Small serif fonts like Times New Roman can be difficult to read on small screens. Verdana is a font used by many sites. It is easy to read in most sizes and colors.

Using all of the information you learned from this article you should feel a bit more confident about getting into web design. Keep in mind that in order to be successful in web design you have to always expand your knowledge on the subject so that you’re up to date with the latest information. When you do this then you should have no problem becoming successful in web design.